Sewing machine for draw-string bag making



April 16, 1963 E. w. MYLIUS 3,085,524

SEWING MACHINE FOR DRAW-STRING BAG MAKING Filed on. e, '1959 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I! [.Illl

/Z 95 4/ as f [/mer My/[ua Z INVENTOR.

l BY @J I ATTORNEY April 16, 1963 E. w. MsYLlUS 3,085,524.-

SEWING MACHINE FOR DRAW-STRING BAG. MAKING- Filed Oct. 9', 1959 3: sheefis shegt 2 f/mer W. Myb'ua INVEN'TORN April 16, 1963 E. w. MYLIUS SEWING MACHINE FOR DRAW-STRING BAG MAKING 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 9; 1959 [/076 W. My/fi/J INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent F 3,085,524 SEWING MACHINE FOR DRAW-STRING BAG MAKING Elmer W. Mylius, Houston, Tex., assignor to Standard Bag Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Oct. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 845,412 Claims. (Cl. 1122) This invention relates to bags of the draw-string type and to a method of and machinery'for making such bags.

In the manufacture of bags of the draw-string type, it is customary to 01m a hem along one longitudinal margin of a continuous strip of fabric by folding the material upon itself and sewing the same, the strip of fabric thus provided with a hem being thereafter cut into pieces of suitable length to form the bags and the drawstring being then inserted longitudinally through the hem of each such piece which is then folded and sewed to complete the bag.

The insertion of the draw-string into each piece of fabric during the manufacture of bags by this method requires a separate operation for which special inserting mechanism of complicated structure is necessary. Drawstring inserting mechanism of this kind is uncertain in operation, difiicult to adjust, requires constant attention, and greatly reduces the speed of operation of the machine, thus substantially increasing the cost of manufacture.

The present invention has for an important object the provision of bag making machinery embodying drawstring inserting mechanism, which is operable to continuously feed a draw-string into a position to be enclosed in the hem as the same is formed in the fabric, whereby each piece of the fabric which is cut and folded to form a bag will have a draw-string already in place for use.

A further object of the invention is to provide drawstring feeding mechanism for use with bag-making machinery of the kind referred to having means for continuously feeding a draw-string into a position to be enclosed in a continuous hem of a strip of fabric as the hem is being folded and sewed, the string being fed into the hem at a rate to cause the string to assume a sinuous shape in the hem whereby the length of the draw-string will exceed the length of the hem.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of manufacture comprising a blank formed of suitable material, such as fabric, adapted to be folded and sewed to form a bag, and having a hem along one side and a draw-string whose length is greater thanthe length of r the hem positioned in the hem in a manner to cause the string to extend beyond the ends of the hem when the bag is completed.

The invention also contemplates a method of making drawstring bags, which comprises forming a continuous hem along one side of a strip of fabric, continuously feeding an excess length of draw-string into the hem as the same is formed to cause the string to assume a sinuous shape in the hem, cutting the strip into pieces, folding the pieces and sewing the same to form the bags with the hem extending along the open side of each bag, whereby the ends'of the draw-string will be extended beyond the ends of the hem in convenient position to be used to draw the bag closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of making blanks for draw-string bags comprising form: ing a continuous hem along one side of a strip of fabric, continuouslyfeeding an excess length of draw-string into the hem as-the hem is formed to cause thestring to assume a sinuous shape in the hem and cutting the strip into pieces adapted'to be folded and sewed into a bag with the hem extending along the open side of the bag and in which the draw-string is extended'beyond the ends of the hem.

3,085,524 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 Another object of the invention is to provide drawstring feeding mechanism for use with bag-sewing machines, which is of simple design and rugged construction and which is certain in operation.

The above and other important objects and advantages of the invention, will be understood from the following detailed description constituting a specification of the same, when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly in crosssection, showing the draw-string mechanism of the invention as applied to a sewing machine;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the invention as illustrated in FIGURE 1;

' FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the same;

FIGURE 4 is a detail view partly broken away and partly in cross-section showing details of the structure of the mechanism by which the machine is automatically stopped upon the occurrence of a knot or similar defect on the draw-string;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, showing details of structure of the draw-string feeding mechanism of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing details of construction of the parts of the draw-string feeding mechanism, the parts being shown in disassembled relation; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a fabric blank made in accordance with the invention in which the hem has been sewed with the draw-string in position therein, ready to be folded and formed into a bag.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the invention is disclosed herein in connection with a sewing machine 10 of conventional construction, having the usual base or platen 12, and provided with sewing mechanism including an eyed needle 14 through which a thread is passed. The sewing machine 10 also has bobbin mechanism of the usual type, not shown, and is adapted to be operated in the usual manner, as by means of an electric motor, not shown.

In the manufacture of draw-string bags, by the use of a sewing machine of this type, a strip of suitable material such as cloth is moved across the upper surface of the platen 12, one marginal portion of the cloth being folded over and sewed as the cloth passes over the platen to form a hem through which a string may be inserted, so that the material may then be cut into pieces, folded, and sewed to form a bag with the hem extending along the open side of the bag, whereby the draw-string may be used to close the bag.

'Heretofore, in the manufacture of draw-string bags, it has been customary to first form bags from the material with the draw-string hem as above described, the material then being cut into pieces adapted to be folded and sewed, and to insert the draw-string through the hem of each individual piece by a separate operation before completing the sewing of the bag. The insertion of the draw-strings in this manner requires the use of complicated mechanism which must be accurately adjusted, and which easily becomes out of order, thus greatly increasing the cost of the manufacture of the bags, and it is for the purpose of overcoming the difficulties encountered in the use of such mechanisms that the present invention has been developed.

The mechanism of the invention includes means for folding the bag material to form a hem, within which a portion of the bag material is extended, in aposition to coact with a draw-string fed into the hem as the sewing of the hem takes place to hold the draw-string spaced away from the seam of the hem. The mechanism of the invention also comprises draw-string feeding means by which the draw-string is fed into the hem as the seam is formed, at a rate in excess of the rate of movement of the cloth, whereby the draw-string is caused to assume a sinuous position in the hem to provide a length of drawstring in the hem which exceeds the length of the hem, so that upon cutting of the material into pieces, the ends of the draw-string will be extended beyond the ends of the hem.

The draw-string feeding mechanism comprises a base plate 17, which is adjustably mounted on the upper face of the platen 12 and is provided with elongated slots 18 through which suitable means, such as the screws 20 may be extended, which are tlneadedly connected to the platen to clamp the base plate thereto.

A support plate 22 is mounted on the base plate 20 with the lower face of the support plate extending horizontally beyond the base plate and spaced somewhat vertically above the platen, and between the lower face of the support plate 22 and the upper face of the platen a feeder plate 24 is positioned and attached to the support plate by suitable means, such as screws 26, extending through openings in the support plate and threadably received in the feeder plate in the internally threaded openings 28, as best seen in FIGURE 5. The feeder plate 24 has its lower face spaced slightly above the upper surface of the platen to permit the free passage of the bag material across the platen beneath the feeder plate as shown in FIGURES 2 and 5. A vertical opening 32 is provided in the plate 24 and the feeder plate has a horizontally extending passageway 34, of U-shape, which has a curved portion extending partially about the circumference of the opening 32 to form an internal groove 36 opening into the opening. The passageway 34 opens outwardly at its ends 112 and 114 at the trailing edge of the feeder plate. In the illustrative embodiment the outlet portion of passageway 34 is also opened laterally to the side edge of the feeder plate through the slot 35. in some cases, however, it may be desirable to close the outlet portion of passageway 34 to form a closed tubular outlet.

Within the opening 32 a feeder element 40 is rotatably positioned, which element, in the present illustration, takes the form of a disk having an externally roughened or toothed periphery 42, which is positioned opposite the internal groove 36. The feeder element 40 is mounted on a vertical shaft 44 for rotation therewith. Shaft 44 forms a part of an enclosed angle drive device, generally designated 46, the shaft 44 extending upwardly through suitable bearings, such as that shown at 48, and carrying at its upper end a bevel gear 50 which meshes with a bevel gear 52 carried on a horizontal shaft 54 mounted in bearings 56 and 58. The housing of the angle drive device 46 is suitably attached to the base plate 17 and support plate 22 in any convenient manner, as by welding or otherwise, as best seen in FIGURE 5, the shaft 54 extending beyond one end of the housing. The shaft 54 is connected through a suitable driving connection, generally designated 60, to a slip clutch 62, which in turn is connected to speed-changing mechanism of conventional construction shown at 64, to be driven thereby. The speedchanging mechanism 64 is operated by a suitable driving connection, such as a driving belt 66, from a countershaft 68, which is in turn operated by a driving belt 70 or other suitable driving connection from an operating shaft 72 through a releasable clutch 74.

The clutch 74 has a movable element which is actuated by a bell crank 76 connected to a rod 78 to engage and disengage the clutch. The rod 78 is slidably extended through a bracket 80 suitably supported on the bed 82 upon which the sewing machine is supported, and is surrounded at its upper end by a coil spring 84 positioned to coact with the bracket and rod to urge the rod upwardly toward a position to actuate the crank 76 to disengage the clutch 74. A stop element 86 is carried by the rod 78 in position to be releasably engaged by a latch member 88 pivotally mounted on the bracket in position to be moved into latching engagement with the stop element, as shown in FIGURE 3, to hold the rod in a position to engage the clutch 74 and to be moved out of such latching engagement, as shown in FIGURE 4, to permit the rod to be moved by the coil spring 84 to a position to dis engage the clutch,

At its upper end the rod 78 is pivotally connected to one end of a lever 90, which is pivotally attached mediate its ends to the bracket 80, and which carries a cam lug 92a positioned to engage the latch 88 to move the latch out of latching position when the lever is depressed, as shown in FIGURE 4, and to release the latch 88 to per mit the latch to move to its latching position, as shown in FIGURE 3, when the lever is elevated. The latch member 88 is shaped to cause it to move under the influence of gravity into its latching position, as seen in FIG- URE 3, when the lever 90 is elevated to an extent to move the rod 78 downwardly a sufiicient distance to cause the stop element 86 to clear the lower end of the latch, in which position the clutch 74 will be engaged.

Electrical means, for depressing the lever 90 is provided, which may take the form of a solenoid coil 92, mounted on the bracket and in which a magnetic plunger 94 is movable, the plunger being pivotally connected to the lever to exert a downward pull on the lever when the coil is energized, and an electrical circuit, not shown, is provided for energizing the coil 92, into which circuit a switch 95 is connected to open and close the circuit. The switch 95 is of a type adapted to be opened by a pivotally mounted lever 96 having an opening through which the draw-string 16 may be passed, so that a knot or other similar imperfection in the string will engage the lever to move the lever in a direction to close the switch to energize the coil 92 to release the latch 88, so that the clutch 74 will be disengaged to stop the draw-string feeding mechanism before the knot enters the feeding mechanism.

The support plate 22 is provided with a downwardly opening groove 98 extending across its lower face which is positioned to form a recess as seen in FIGURE 5 for the passage therethrough of the folds of the bag material as the same is fed through the apparatus.

In making use of the apparatus, the bag material 30 in the form of a continuous strip of fabric is fed through fold-forming means of conventional construction, not shown, to fold over a portion 100 of the material along one side margin thereof, and also to fold under a part of the material to form a portion 102, positioned beneath the portion 100 and having a free edge 104 disposed between upper and lower layers of the hem 106 thus formed. The thus folded material then passes through the drawstring feeding mechanism and through the sewing mechanism to stitch the hem through the undertumed layer 102, as shown at 108 in FIGURES 6 and 8, the draw-string 16 being fed into the hem 106 in advance of the needle 14.

To insert the draw-string 16 through the feeding mechanism, the end of the draw-string from a supply reel 110 is inserted into the passageway 34 through the inlet end 112 thereof so that the string enters the internal groove 36 and is engaged by the rotating feeder element 40 to grip the string between the roughened periphery 42 of the element and the wall of the groove to feed the string through the passageway 34 and out of the outlet end 114 thereof into the hem 106. By suitably adjusting the speed of the feeder element 40, the draw-string may be fed into the hem 106 at a rate substantially greater than the rate of movement of the bag material, to cause the draw-string to assume a sinuous position in the hem, as shown in FIGURE 6, as the hem is formed and sewed.

It will also be apparent that due to the positioning of the edge 104 of the underturned portion 102 of the bag material in the hem 106, the string 16 will be held away from the stitches by engagement with the edge 104 and prevented from being caught in the seam of the hem, so

that the string will remain in its looped or sinuous condi-' tion to provide an excess length of the string in the hem. By loosening the screws 20, the string-feeding mechanism may be adjusted to cause the string to be fed into, the hem, at a location relative to the folds of the hem and the needle 14 of the sewing machine, such that the string does not become caught in the seam and does not interefere with the stitches.

The feeder plate 24 may be suitably rounded off along its edge adjacent to'the base plate 17, as best seen in FIGURE 5, to allow the upper and lower layers of the hem to pass above and beneath thefeeder plate to hold the hem open at a location to permit the string 16 to be fed between the layers of the hem.

In the event that a knot or tangle should occur in the draw-string 16, such as that shown at 116 in FIGURE 2, such imperfection will engage the lever 96' to pull the lever in a direction to cause the switch 95 to close the circuit to the solenoid coil 92 to energize the coil, to depress the lever 90 to the position shown in FIGURE 4, to actuate the latch 88 to release the rod 78, which is then moved upwardly by the spring 84 to disengage the clutch 74, thus stopping the machine and preventing the knot from entering and clogging the feeder mechanism. The knot or tangle 116 may then be removed and the end of the string again fed through the feeder mechanism, the switch 95 being then opened and the lever 90 being depressed to again place the apparatus in operation.

When the continuous strip of bag material has thus been hemmed with the continuous draw-string positioned in the hem, as described above, the strip may be cut into pieces of the desired length, as shown in FIGURE 8, adapted to be folded and sewed along one side and across the bottom to form the bags which will be open along the side where the hem is located. Upon cutting of the strip into pieces, such as that shown in FIGURE 8, the ends of the drawstring 16 in each piece will be extended beyond the ends of the hem thereof in position to be pulled to draw the bag closed.

The invention thus includes a blank for making a drawstring bag which comprises a piece of bag material having a hem sewed along one side margin thereof and having a draw-string of greater length than the lenth of the hem positioned in the hem and Whose free ends extend beyond the ends of the hem.

The method of the invention comprises the folding of the bag material to form a hem along one side margin of the material and the feeding into the hem of the drawstring to position and excess length of the string in the hem, so that upon cutting of the material into pieces to be sewed into bags, the ends of the draw-strings will be extended beyond the ends of the hems of the pieces.

The invention also includes the method of folding the hem of the bag material with the underturned portion 102 having the edge 104 positioned to hold the string away from the switching, whereby an excess length of string may be fed into the hem to form a sinuous shape therein without danger of the string becoming caught or sewed in the seam.

It will thus be apparent that the invention provides an apparatus and method for making draw-string bags by which bags of improved convenience and utility may be economically produced.

The invention is disclosed herein in connection with a certain specified structure and arrangement of parts and certain steps to be carried out, but it will be understood that these are intended to be considered as illustrative only, and that various changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts as well as in the procedure to be carried out, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In draw-string feeding mechanism for use in positioning a continuous draw-string in a continuous hem on a fabric strip as the hem is formed, a stationary flat platelike member having generally parallel side and end edges and having a circular opening therethrough adjacent one end edge, a passageway forming an internal peripheral said peripheral portion and the wall of said groove to cause the string to move through the passageway.

.2. In draw-string feeding mechanism for use in positioning a continuous draw-string in a continuous hem on a fabric strip as the hem is formed, a stationary flat platelike member having generally parallel side and end edges and having a circular opening therethrough adjacent one end edge, a passageway forming an internal peripheral groove in the opening and through which a draw-string may be passed, said passageway including generally tubular inlet and outlet passages extending from opposite ends of said groove to the same side edge of said plate, said outlet passage being also open laterally to said one end edge of said plate, and a single feeder element rotatably disposed in the opening and having a roughened peripheral face located opposite said groove in position for gripping the string therebetween to cause the string to move through the passageway.

3. In a machine for making draw-string bags the combination with apparatus for forming and sewing a continuous hem along one margin of a strip of fabric during longitudinal movement of the strip through the apparatus, of draw-string feeding mechanism comprising a flat platelike member having generally parallel side and end edges and having an opening therethrough adjacent one end edge forming an internal curved wall and a passageway forming an internal groove opening inwardly through said wall and through which a draw-string may be passed, said passageway including generally tubular inlet and outlet passages extending from opposite ends of said groove to the same side edge of said plate-like member, said outlet passage being also open laterally to said one end edge of said plate-like member, a single feeder element rotatably disposed in the opening and having a peripheral face located to grip the string between said face and the wall of said groove to move the string through the groove and passageway upon rotation of the element and means for positioning the member with said outlet passage located to position the string in the hem.

4. In a machine for making draw-string bags the combination with apparatus for forming and sewing a continuous hem along one margin of a strip of fabric during longitudinal movement of the strip through the apparatus, of draw-string feeding mechanism comprising a flat-like member having generally parallel side and end edges and having an opening therethrough adjacent one end edge forming an internal curved wall and a passageway forming an internal groove opening inwardly through said wall and through which a draw-string may be passed, said passageway including generally tubular inlet and outlet passages extending from opposite ends of said groove to the same side edge of said plate-like member, said outlet passage being also open laterally to said one end edge of said plate-like member, a single feeder element rotatably disposed in the opening and having a peripheral face located to grip the string between said face and the wall of said groove to move the string through the groove and passageway upon rotation of the element and means for supporting the member in a position with said outlet passage located to cause the string to be laid on the fabric at a location to be enclosed in the hem and means for rotating the element at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of movement of the fabric.

5. In a machine for making draw-string bags the combination with apparatus for forming and sewing a continuous hem along one margin of a strip of fabric during longitudinal movement of the strip through the apparatus, of draw-string feeding mechanism comprising a fiat platelike member having generally parallel side and end edges and having an opening therethrough adjacent one end edge forming an internal curved wall and a passageway forming an internal groove opening inwardly through said wall and through which a draw-string may be passed, said passageway including generally tubular inlet and outlet passages extending from opposite ends of said groove to the same side edge of said plate-like member, said outlet passage being also open laterally to said one end edge of said plate-like member, a single feeder element rotatably disposed in the opening and having a peripheral face located to grip the string between said face and the wall of said groove to move the string through the groove and passageway upon rotation of the element and means for supporting the member above the fabric with said outlet passage in a position to cause the string to enter the hem as the hem is formed, means for rotating the element and means for regulating the speed of rotation of the element to cause the string to enter the hem at a linear speed greater than the linear speed of movement of the fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. IN DRAW-STRING FEEDING MECHANISM FOR USE IN POSITIONING A CONTINUOUS DRAW-STRING IN A CONTINUOUS HEM ON A FABRIC STRIP AS THE HEM IS FORMED, A STATIONARY FLAT PLATELIKE MEMBER HAVING GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDE AND END EDGES AND HAVING A CIRCULAR OPENING THERETHROUGH ADJACENT ONE END EDGE, A PASSAGEWAY FORMING AN INTERNAL PERIPHERAL GROOVE IN THE OPENING AND THROUGH WHICH A DRAW-STRING MAY BE PASSED, SAID PASSAGEWAY INCLUDING GENERALLY TUBULAR INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES EXTENDING FROM OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID GROOVE TO THE SAME SIDE EDGE OF SAID PLATE, SAID OUTLET PASSAGE BEING ALSO OPEN LATERALLY TO SAID ONE END EDGE OF SAID PLATE, AND A SINGLE FEEDER ELEMENT ROTATABLY DISPOSED IN THE OPENING AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL PORTION 